Big prob, Murky Coolent, Whit Smoke

Ok now this really blows. I have a tranny problem but that aint the issue. I checked my coolant resevoir and it looks like MUD. It drinks oil like it does gas and it does that good too. But i was in town the other day and i happed to see a whole buch of white smoke from my car. I need to know if this is a head gasket. And if so, how hard is it to change this?

Stevo

sounds like maybe a head gasket prob. and hopefully not a cracked head?

yea its either a head gasket or your head, could be block but it prob wouldn't run if it were.

to change it basically you have to disconnect everything that goes to the head including (but not limited to) these arent really in any order i would recommend getting a chiltons or haynes service manuel they have all this stuff
fuel rail
intake manifold
exhaust manifold and turbo but if its like my 1.8 eclipse you have to drop the downpipe to get the manifold off
wiring harness (lay the on some newpaper on the windshield)
then you have to take the timing belt cam gears off the head to take off the gears wire tie the belt tightly to each cam gear then unbolt the gears from the camshafts and sit them to the side keeping tension on the belt so that it doesnt fall off underneath
valve cover easy to take off the head bolts are underneath the valve cover
last and easiest take out the head bolts and get a second person to help you lift off the head

i dunno if whatever year you have uses stretch head bolts or not if you lay a straight edge along the thread and the bolt looks stretched you need new head bolts

you could probably try to keep some of these connected and just unbolt them from the head but when i did my 1.8 i just took everything out completly and cleaned it before i put it back

dunno what engine you have or anything so i dunno what prices would be when i did my 1.8 it cost me about 200 bucks which was still cheap since the garage wanted 600 to do it
head gasket set, includes head, intake, exhaust, and valve cover gaskets
fuel injector o-rings (not included with the set for some dumb fucking reason)

this tutorial is far from complete and any damage you do to your car is entirely your fault :icon16:

hope this helps

definitely a head gasket, i would recommend taking the head to a shop and having it dipped to check for cracks before putting it back on. check for head warpage and use a book when removing the headbolts so as not to warp the head.